1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to mooring products for boating vessels. More particularly, the present application involves an improved fender hook for a yacht.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
The surface of a new yacht is coated with a thin gel coat or paint over the glass fiber hull, which is vulnerable to abrasion. Boat or yacht fenders are commonly used as a buffer between vessels, or between a vessel and a pier, to prevent damage to the vessel during mooring and docking. Fender hooks allow boat fenders to be safely suspended from handrails, pipe rails and gunwales, without causing damage to the yacht itself. They are used to protect a yacht's varnish, paint and polished areas, which are typically subjected to chafe caused from lines securing the yacht's fender systems.
Many new yacht designs incorporate an exterior hull body having a relatively steep inward taper. When hanging a conventional fender hook over the cap rail covering of a gunwale, the steep inward taper can causes the fender hook to engage the cap rail and hull body in a relatively loose manner. Expensive yachts often have very high-end expensive cap rails overlaying the gunwale. Fender hooks loosely disposed over a cap rail can exert stress against the inside edges of the cap rail, resulting in damage. Therefore, there is a need for a fender hook having a construction and geometry that overcomes this drawback by enabling the fender hook to engage the cap rail and exterior hull surface in a secure manner that minimizes stress on the inside edges of the cap rail.
Most conventional fender hooks have limited functionality. That is, they are constructed specifically for the purpose of enabling fenders to be safely suspended from handrails, pipe rails and gunwales, without causing damage to the yacht itself. It would be highly desirable to provide a fender hook having auxiliary structural components for facilitating the use of the fender hook for other purposes, such as, for example, holding a mooring whip or a fishing rod.